What if Van Persie Stays??????????

Top of the Morning to y’all

As I woke up this morning to check the official website of the Arsenal Football Club and saw stories of the Markus Liebherr Cup win, I can’t help but feel sorry for all those involved with football. At this time of the year, everyone –apart from the rumour peddlers in the tabloids and greedy agents poaching their clients- is so bored that the club had to carry a two day old story as its headline. I couldn’t help but wish that the season will start already.

Before today, I have decided not to write about the van Persie contract row until there have been official confirmations as the dude has disappointed me and many other Arsenal fans in the worst possible manner by his declaration. When I think about how close I was to posting my blog telling everyone who cared to listen that he would stay only to announce that he won’t, I can’t but thank the stars for my poor network that day. But over the weekend, in one of the general discussions on my BBM group Nigerian Gunners, an argument arose. What if Van Persie stays?

As expected the debate generated a heated argument and the house was divided on the issue with members insisting that he would be welcomed back with open arms while others saying he shouldn’t bother staying that he had used up all his goodwill in that note to the fans.

For those who don’t want him back, they claimed that in releasing the “update for the fans”, van Persie had betrayed the club and the manager that had stood loyal to him in all the years he was injured and that after one good season, the club was suddenly not ambitious enough for him. For those fans as well as me, it’s disgusting. It’s an insult that has been condemned in the strongest of terms. These people feel that no player is bigger than the club and that no matter how good van Persie is, he is still just a player and that he is not bigger than the club so for that, he should be sold.

On the other hand, some fans are looking beyond van Persie’s gaffe and looking at the possible effects of his stay in the team. Those people argue that despite his shocking announcement, if he decides to change his heart and stay with the club, then the club will be the better for it. He is the captain and most influential player in the team and we all know his influence if he is fit.

I tend to err to this side of the argument. For all we know, van Persie is the best striker in the world and his supposed weaker right foot is better than some other strikers we have in the squad –am talking to you both Chamakh and Park- and losing the only world class striker to either United or City will be a major blow to our title challenge even before the season gets on the way.

As it stands, United and City are the front runners for his signature and imagine an attack of Rooney, Hernandez and Van Persie or Aguero, Ballotteli and Van Persie while we have Giroud, Podolski and Chamakh. It sounds ridiculous right? That's what it means to sell our best player to our rivals. It instantly improves their squad and depletes ours as we almost never get to sign replacements of similar quality.

Another bone of contention that was raised in our deliberations was if he should still be entrusted with the responsibilities of being the captain. Some members of the forum argued that when Wayne Rooney declared that he was leaving in 2010, instead of Sir Alex Ferguson giving him the boot, he raised his pay and Rooney kept mum like a baby whose mother gave him his bottle. I wonder now as I wonder then that had Rooney been the captain of the United squad and came out with such a rant, would Ferguson increase his pay and strip him of the captaincy or would he have increased his pay and also kept the captain’s armband. A good point you will agree but upon closer inspection, you will find out that the United squad have more natural leaders than the Arsenal squad. Arsenal doesn’t have strong willed characters such as Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Scholes, Giggs, and of course Wayne Rooney. No disrespect to anyone in the Arsenal squad but we don’t have as much leaders in the squad as United has. But that's another topic up for debate and I will be glad to hear your thoughts on it.

Personally though, I think the issue of who wears the captain’s armband should be the sole responsibility of the manager. He lives with the players every day and he knows them not only as players but as human beings and like I said earlier, the Arsenal team don’t have as much influential characters that can drive the team when the team needs one. So if van Persie stays –even though am not keeping my hopes high buy if he does I’d be delighted- the issues of if he keeps the captaincy should be decided by the manager, if he still trusts him enough for that responsibility is his decision and his alone to make and who else that gets the armband even if Robin stays or not should be one who deserves it.

On a lighter note, last weekend marked the birthday of United legend Howard Webb, he turned 41. This is wishing him and all other United players on the referees board an injury plagued season. Hip Hip Hurray to the United man.

That's all for now folks. Be right back on Wednesday for another edition. Please post your comments in the box below or on my twitter page @nigeriangunners and I will be glad to reply. If you will like to join our discussion forums on BBM, you can send me your pin and I will send you the invite. Have a great day folks.

God bless the Arsenal, Iree o.